What to Know About Transferring GI Bill Benefits to a Spouse | The Link

This article was reviewed by Vanessa Davidson, Assistant Director of Student Accounts at Columbia Southern University.

Service members of the United States military receive a wide range of benefits, including those available through the GI Bill®. Among its many benefits, the GI Bill covers college expenses for military service members.

GI Bill benefits can also be used by immediate family members, including spouses, although there are additional rules. In this article, we cover the following questions:

• Is every service member who qualifies for the GI Bill eligible to transfer their benefits?
• How do you transfer GI Bill benefits to a spouse?
• What benefits will spouses receive from the GI Bill?
• How does the GI Bill work with dependents?

Is every service member who qualifies for the GI Bill eligible to transfer their benefits?

The simple answer is “no.” Not every service member who qualifies for the GI Bill is eligible for benefit transfer. If you want to initiate a GI Bill transfer to your spouse, you first must be on active duty or in the Selected Reserve. Additional requirements include:

• You must have completed at least six years of service.
• You must agree to four additional years of service.
• The person using your benefits must be enrolled in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System, or DEERS.

Due to the length-of-service requirements, some service members may wait for reenlistment before requesting their benefits transfer. Note that Purple Heart recipients don’t need to meet the service requirement, but they’ll need to request the transfer while on active duty.

How do you transfer GI Bill benefits to a spouse?

Before requesting your benefits transfer, confirm that you meet the requirements and your spouse is enrolled in the DEERS.

Once that's complete, you can request a transfer on the milConnect website. You can also transfer or revoke benefits through the same portal if your circumstances change. Once approved, you'll receive a statement of eligibility in the mail.

What benefits will spouses receive from the GI Bill?

Spouses are eligible to receive up to 36 months of the full GI Bill tuition benefit, although there are restrictions. The tuition benefit can cover up to 100% of in-state tuition and mandatory fees for public universities or up to $28,937.09 per year for private universities, as of the August 2024-July 2025 rate. The GI Bill also provides a yearly stipend of up to $1,000 for books and supplies.

Spouses are permitted to use the benefits as soon as the transfer is approved, and they can do so for up to 15 years after the service member separates from active duty. Service members can revoke the benefits at any time, however.

How does the GI Bill work with dependents?

While spouses are common recipients of benefit transfers, service members can transfer benefits to any combination of their children or spouse. Every family member must be enrolled in the DEERS and must be approved for benefits before the transfer can be completed.

If the transfer is approved, family members are eligible to receive any or all unused benefits. This includes coverage for tuition, housing, and books and supplies for dependents. When it comes to using the benefits, the rules are slightly different for children. Here’s a quick overview of how benefits transfers work for dependent children:

• Dependent children can't use the benefits until their parent has completed 10 years of service.
• They may not use the benefits until they have earned a high school diploma – or an equivalent certificate – or until they reach 18 years of age.
• Children of service members can use the benefits while their parents are on active duty or afterward.
• They must use the benefits before the age of 26, but they don't have to use them within 15 years of their parents leaving the service.
• Children always qualify for the monthly housing allowance, even when their parent is on active duty. This isn’t the case for spouses.
• Dependent children can still qualify for benefits if their parents divorce.
• The service member transferring the benefits can revoke them at any time.

Using Your GI Bill Benefits at CSU

If you’re a military spouse looking for a school where you can use your GI Bill tuition benefit, consider Columbia Southern University. Here at CSU, military spouses benefit from the flexibility of our online degree programs. We provide support and resources specifically designed for military families, and service members and their spouses and children are eligible for tuition discounts and scholarships.

For more information about our online degree programs at the associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels, visit our website.

Multiple factors, including prior experience, geography and degree field, affect career outcomes. CSU does not guarantee a job, promotion, salary increase, eligibility for a position, or other career growth.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website.

Any reference to United States Department of Defense (DoD) personnel, products or services does not constitute or imply endorsement by the DoD.